


The Starks meet the Stranges

by LunaShakespeare19



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Children, Adopted Peter Parker, Adopted Wanda Maximoff, After Stephen's accident, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Friendship, Parent Stephen Strange, Parent Tony Stark, Stephen Strange acting as Wana Maximoff's parental figure, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, alternative universe, reference to past suicidal thoughts in later chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:22:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26534299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaShakespeare19/pseuds/LunaShakespeare19
Summary: Billionaire genius Tony Stark is working on some new A. I technology with his son, Peter. To help them with the project he invites former world-renowned neurosurgeon, Doctor Stephen Strange to join them. Stephen is joined by his daughter, Wanda. As the two families come together, they realize how much they have in common and how they can build a new future together.
Relationships: Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Wanda Maximoff, Tony Stark & Stephen Strange, Wanda Maximoff & Stephen Strange
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

Stephen and Wanda Strange stood in the lobby of Stark Tower. They had given their names and were waiting to be called up. Wanda looked around in amazement. Open landscapes with bright lights, a shining beacon of modern technology. If the lobby was this amazing, then what did the rest of the tower look like? 

Tony Stark; genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, had invited Dr. Stephen Strange to come to Stark Tower because he wanted to work with the former surgeon and get his input on some research into A.I, thinking his expertise in the area would be beneficial. Stephen happily excepted, being the great nerd that he was and missing being able to contribute to the development of science like he used to. Not that he didn’t love his teaching job, but he missed being right in the middle of it all. Teaching did allow him more time with Wanda though. 

“Dr and Miss. Strange?” A stylish woman wearing a sophisticated suit came to greet them. She shook hands with both of them and introduced herself as Pepper Potts. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Stephen said. “Wanda actually wrote a paper about for a class once.”

“Really?” She addressed Wanda who looked embarrassed. 

“We had to write about someone who inspires us; you graduated top of your class and are now running a multi-billion company. Not to mention your charity work and women’s rights campaigns.” Wanda rambled on, wringing her hands together nervously. 

“She got an A.” Stephen added proudly. 

“That’s very impressive.” Pepper said, genuinely impressed by the young girl. “And I’m very flattered. If you would like to follow me, Mr. Stark is waiting for you.” She led the two of them to the elevator and turned back to Stephen. 

“If you need anything for your hands, please don’t hesitate to let us know.” She assured him. 

“Thank you, but I’m sure my nurse has me covered.” He explained. 

“Your nurse?” Pepper asked, confused. 

“I have your pills and heating pads, as well as some of that tea you say helps.” Wanda supplied, patting her massager bag. 

“She takes better care of me than any other nurse could.” Stephen explained. When they reached the floor, the doors opened into a lab that was empty except for two people but the lab still looked busy with workstations covered with papers and robot parts. 

“Tony, Peter, the Doctor, and his daughter are here.” Pepper greeted and the two figures turned. One of them was the famous Tony Stark and the other was a boy who looked the same age as Wanda. 

“Doctor Strange; world-renowned doctor, former neurosurgeon turned professor, co-creator of the Palmer- Strange technique…”

“Strange- Palmer technique.” Stephen mumbled before receiving a jab in the ribs from Wanda.

“Not to mention the world’s luckiest bastard considering what happened.” Tony came over to the pair and addressed Wanda. “Wanda Strange; straight-A student, plays guitar and is said to be responsible for Dr. Strange’s recovery.” 

“I wouldn’t say that.” Wanda blushed. 

“How did you get her grades?” Stephen asked, but no one was listening to him.

“Peter come introduce yourself.” Tony called. The young man, Peter, came over to them. His science pun shirt made Wanda smile and she thought to herself that the two of them would get along just fine. 

“Hi, I’m Peter but you already knew that.” He laughed shyly. It was public knowledge that Tony Stark adopted a little boy fifth teen years ago, but he was kept out of the press as much as possible. Apparently, the son was just as smart as his father maybe even more so. 

“I’m Wanda, but you knew that.” Wanda teased which caused Peter’s cheek to turn red. Tony smirked at his son’s embracement. 

“So Doc, if you’d like to follow me, I’ll show you what we’ve so far.” Tony and Peter led the two over to the desk they were working at before they arrived. 

The pair explained how J.A.R.V.I.S worked, who introduced himself, surprising their guests. Tony went on to tell them how he wanted to incorporate some of Stephen’s work into his own, he had first got the idea when Peter mentioned his research after they learned about him in school, which made Stephen smile and Wanda mumble something about his big head. He also explained that Peter would be working with them and he hoped that wouldn’t be a problem, of course, his tone and expression said that if it was, Peter would not be the one leaving. As he was also the parent of a brilliant child, Stephan happily agreed, not seeing a problem at all. 

“I’d prefer if Wanda could be here as much as possible too.” 

“I’ll mostly be around in case his hands act up.” She said, wanting to assure Tony she wouldn’t get in the way of their work. 

“Well from your grades I think you’ll be very helpful.” Tony assured her. “You thinking of following in your old man’s footsteps?”

“I’m not too sure yet.” She replied honestly, not at all sure about what she wanted to do in the future. 

“Again, how did you get her grades?” Stephen asked, but once again, he was ignored. 

Tony and Peter show the two around the rest of the lab. Peter talked rapidly and enthusiastically about some of the other projects they were working on. He reminded the doctor and Wanda of an excited puppy who was on a sugar high. He actually reminded Wanda of her dad whenever he got excited about a new study or break throw, she found it to be quite adorable. While Peter showed Stephen something on his computer, Tony turned to Wanda. 

“So what’s your thing then?” He asked. 

“I like cooking and guitar.” She replied. “I guess I don’t really know just yet.”

“That’s what college is for, I guess. Peter should have been in college by now, but he wanted to stay with his friends.” 

“You’d be lost without me.” Peter called from across the room. Tony shook his head, but his expression told Wanda he actually agreed with his son’s statement. 

“Mine would be lost without me too so I get it.” Wanda said. 

“She’s not wrong.” Stephen joined in, not taking his eyes off the screen Peter was showing him. “Feels weird when she’s not around now that she’s back at school and I’m not teaching.”

“Would you say it feels, Strange?” Tony teased, having wanting to make that joke for a while now, but just waiting for the right moment. 

“Haha.” Stephen laughed sarcastically. “Like I haven’t heard that one before.” 

“Maybe you should have changed your name to Maximoff instead.”

“Is that your birth name?” Peter asked. “Mine is hyphenated to Parker- Stark.”

“Same, Maximoff- Strange, but I only introduce myself as Strange, don’t remember being a Maximoff, to be honest.” Wanda explained. Being only three years old at the time, Wanda had very little memory of her life before Stephen. She had some photos that had survived the house fire which killed her parents and twin brother, but that was all. As far as she was concerned, Stephen was her father, her family and that was that. She suspected Peter may have felt the same way about Tony. 

“Do you guys have plans for dinner tonight?” Peter asked. “Because we’re going to order pizza if you wanted to join us.”

“What makes you think we can afford to feed two extra people?” 

“Because you’re a billionaire and we order from that really cheap place because you love their desserts so much.” Peter deadpanned. 

“I don’t know…” Stephen began before Wanda interrupted him. 

“We’d love to join you.”

“We would?” He questioned. 

“We would.” Wanda assured them, glaring at her father who simply nodded his head. 

The two families moved to the upper floors of the tower Tony and Peter lived. The living room had a great view of the city and it was getting dark, so the night sky was lite up with the city lights. Wanda and Stephen’s apartment was high up but nothing like this. Tony had J.A.R.V.I.S order his and Peter’s regular orders and whatever the Stranges wanted. While they waited for their delivery, the four of them talked about other things; Stephen’s teaching job, Wanda, and Peter’s classes. Tony’s ear perked up when Peter mentioned being a fan of their YouTube channel. 

“You guys are YouTubers?” He asked. “What’s it called?”

“A Strange Duo.” Wanda replied happily, while Stephen looked a little embarrassed. 

“J.A.R.V.I.S, bring up a video from their channel.” Stephen covered his face, trying to hide his embarrassment while Wanda smiled widely. 

On the screen, the lasted video came up with Stephen sitting at the piano while Wanda stood with her guitar. They started to play a song that Tony didn’t recognize, but they played it very well. Wanda had a lovely voice and every so often he would notice Stephen glance at Wanda with a proud smile, very similar to how he would look at Peter. Once the song was over, Peter gushed about how amazing it was and asked what other songs they did. When the pizza arrived, Wanda and Peter were deep into their conversation, so Tony and Stephen talked about their plans for their research. It was the beginning of an excellent partnership.


	2. Wanda and Stephen's story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into Wanda and Stephen's lives before they met Tony and Peter and how they handled his accident.

Stephen was asked countless questions when he told people he was adopting; ‘why not wait to have your own?’, ‘don’t you need a wife first? and ‘what about your career?’ After his relationship with Christine ended (they were still best friends), he decided that he didn’t want to be alone anymore. He didn’t want to come home to an empty apartment and he wanted to have someone to share his life with. Romance clearly wasn’t in the cards, so maybe he should give parenthood a try. He could absolutely afford it and he’ll take time off work until a routine could be established. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted it. 

After a long process, he was introduced to Wanda Maximoff and it was love at first sight. She was quiet and closed off, which was understandable given what had happened to her. As time went on, she opened up to him and soon she became Wanda Maximoff- Strange. Stephen took a year off from work until they had settled into their new lives. He try would schedule surgeries during school hours but when it couldn’t be helped, their neighbor, Mrs. Whitehead was happy to come over and spend time with Wanda until she was old enough to be home alone. As the years went by, Stephen knew he had made the right choice. Then everything changed. 

“Look at you,” she smiled, reaching over to straighten his tie. “You’ll be the belle of the ball.”

“Sure you can’t come?”

“I have to study, we can’t all have an eidetic memory.”

“These things are always more fun with you,” he argued. 

“Like you won’t have enough fun with everyone talking about how amazing you are,” she smiled. “What watch do you want?”

“Surprise me.” He already knew which one she would pick and sure enough when she came back, she was holding his favorite. It was a birthday present she had given him two years ago. On the back the words ‘There’s nothing strange about how much I love you’ were engraved on the back. It was one of his most prized possessions. 

“Okay, money for pizza, no boys, lock the door and don’t wait up,” he listed before kissing her cheek and wishing her good night. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” and he left the apartment. She studied, ate pizza, and watched a movie. She must have fallen asleep at some point because she woke to the sound of her phone ringing. It was Christine. Before she was even able to say hello, she told her about the accident. Wanda’s heart stopped beating and her body went cold.  
Somehow, she made it to the hospital and saw Christine waiting for her. She immediately ran into her arms and started to cry. In between sobs, she said how she should have been with him, how he always drove safer when she was in the car. 

“You being in that car would have been the last thing he would want,” Christine assured him as she stroked her hair, holding back her own tears.  
They made their way to the waiting room and drank stale hospital coffee that left a bad taste in their mouths for what felt like an eternity. When she could finally see him, Wanda pushed past the doctor and saw her father lying there. He was covered in scarps and bruised, and his hands were suspended with screws in them. Christine told her about how it had taken a few hours to find him and then eleven hours on the table. No one could have done better, she said. All that was going through her head when she heard that was that he could have. He cried when he finally came to and saw her there. Asa Christine explained what happened, Wanda stayed close assuring herself he was alive and right there with her. He hadn’t taken the news well. As he recovered and was finally able to come home, they went over his options. They sat down and talked with his doctors. When the question of who would care for him came up, Wanda immediately said she would do it.

“You have school,” He reminded her.

“I’ll study at home, Christine can talk to the school,” she said. “You’ll hate the idea of a stranger coming to look after you. I’m the best choice.” She gently placed her hand on his. 

“You’ve looked after me for so long…”

“I’m your father.”

“And I’m your daughter, so let me do this.”

In the end, he couldn’t deny her logic. He was a proud man, but as much as he hated the thought of Wanda seeing him like this, the idea of it being a stranger was even worse. Christine went to talk to the principal and due to the circumstances, Wanda was able to continue her studies at home while she cared for Stephen. When they got home, she listened to everything the doctors told her about his medication and physical therapy. At first, he wasn’t willing to accept her help. He would lash out and get angry at her. She tried to remember this wasn’t him, that he was having a difficult time adjusting to how things were now. 

She didn’t blame him, she really didn’t. People always said things they didn’t mean when they were upset. Despite the fact she didn’t blame him, that didn’t stop Stephen from blaming himself. Wanda just wanted to help him and here he was yelling at her when she reminded him to take his medication. He hated it, he hated the shell of a man he had become, a man who yelled at his wonderful daughter who had put her life on hold to take care of him. It was then that the thoughts started running through his head.  
How she would be better off without him. How with him gone, she could get on with her life. She’d inherit everything, enough for a dozen lifetimes. She was strong, she would be okay. She would be okay without him. He never tried anything, when these dark thoughts were nothing but a sad memory, he would always remind himself that he never tried anything. He never tried to leave her. If he had to pinpoint the moment he truly wanted to get better, the moment he decided to pull himself out of this pit he had found himself, it would have to be when Wanda came home with a shaving kit. 

She had gone out hoping to find something to cheer him up as best she could. She wasn’t an idiot she knew no mere trinket was going to make everything right. In her father’s mind, he had lost everything he ever worked for. She saw the shaving kit in a pawn shop, the razors reminded her of the surgical tools her father would have used, and she felt drawn to it. When she came home that day, she pushed him into the bathroom and forced him to take a seat. The grace and dexterity she used reminded him of himself and his fellow surgeons. Once she was finished, Stephen was speechless, he looked more like himself than he had for months. She was better at this than he was. He whispered a small thank you and moved to stand up, but she pushed him back down and said she was now going to take care of his hair. 

Too ashamed to go to a barber, he had let it grown long and he hadn’t bothered to wash it properly when he could be bothered to shower at all. Instead of doing a basic shampoo and conditioning, she also did a deep moisturizing treatment and did a rinse and repeat. She cut his hair using a pair of professional salon scissors she also bought that day. Once she had finished cutting and swept the fallen hair away, she grabbed her hairdryer and finished him off. Once she was all done, she ran a hand through his freshly cut hair and met his eyes in the mirror. 

“Christine said they want you to do some lectures at NYU when you feel up to it,” she explained. “You’re still needed in the medical community, Dad. They remember how brilliant you are. It’s not about your hands, it’s about what’s in here.” She kissed the side of his head and gently wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’ll always be a doctor but right now I need my dad back.” Stephen took her hands in his and kissed it. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. 

“It’s okay.” She assured him. “We’ll get through this.”

She was right. It was as if that hair cut was magical. He took Christine upon the teaching job and he actually found he enjoyed it. Being the surgical legend he was and having his amazing survival story students respected him and were eager to learn. As everything was digital now, he had an easier time grading and making notes on the computer. As his recovery was improving, the difficult part was convincing Wanda to go back to school. She had been keeping up with her classes online and would now be going back for the new year. She was excited to see her friends again, but she was worried about leaving her dad alone. 

“What if your hands start hurting too much?”

“I have the heating pads and pain killers, the pain has been manageable for months.” He assured her. 

“What if you drop your coffee mug and scold yourself?”

“Seeing as I have decreased my coffee intake for that exact reason, it seems unlikely.”

“What if…”

“You are down as my emergency contact now please go to school.” Stephen handed her bag and gently pushed her towards the door. “Look things are getting back to normal, or as close as they will be, part of that involves you in school and being with your friends.”

It was hard and she would often text him in between classes just to be sure he was okay. As time went by, their lives slowly went back to normal, or as normal as they could be. Stephen loved his teaching job, but he missed the operating room, he missed performing surgeries most would believe to be impossible, but he couldn’t deny the perks that came with a regular work schedule, he focused his attention on making things up to Wanda after how he treated her. They would have movie nights like they used to and as he got more confident with the piano again, she came up with the idea for their YouTube channel. As they played together, Stephen could feel himself getting back to the man he was. He might be able to be a surgeon anymore, but he could still be a father. Yes, life was getting back to normal. Then one day, Stephen got an email from Stark Industries.


	3. Peter and Tony's story

Tony Stark; genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. That was who he was, and he was in no rush to change that. He had had a few women try to get money off him for a child that was quickly proven to not be his, but the idea of actually being a parent had never occurred to him. When asked he would say he didn’t have the best father figure growing up, so he doubted he would be any better, but it seemed fate had other plans for him.

Richard and Mary Parker were good people and they were two of the few people Tony saw as real friends. The couple had worked on a number of projects with Tony, both being top of their classes at their respective colleges. He was actually one of the first people they told about Mary being pregnant. After the birth of their son, Peter, they brought him in to meet their colleagues. When he was handed the squealing infant, Tony first felt awkward and he scanned the room for someone to save him from the tiny menace. It seemed everyone was preoccupied with their drinks and conversations, so Tony was left to fend for himself. Once he had got used to the little bundle in his arms, he took a moment to look at him. Peter looked like all babies, pink and wrinkly, but he could definitely see some of the child’s mother in him. Knowing his parents, it was safe to assume little Peter was going to be quite the genius himself. When she finally got back to them. Mary heard Tony talking about pulling some strings for Peter to get into MIT. Yes, Uncle Tony was going to be very popular with her little boy. 

When he got the news Tony blamed himself. Richard and Mary were sent to Europe, where exactly he couldn’t remember, to attend a conference that Tony was unable to attend. He decided to send them both; Richard knew the research better than he did and no one would be able to charm a room like Mary could. It seemed like a no brainer if he had only known what would happen. Technical difficulties, that was what the official report had said. When he heard, Tony sent Happy to pick up Peter from the friends who were looking after him while his parents were gone. After speaking with the social worker, Tony found out that neither of them had any family outside of S.I. both were only children and only Mary’s father was still alive, but he couldn’t even recognize Mary most of the time. 

Perhaps it was guilt that drove his decision. After all, he was supposed to be the one on that plane. Thanks to him Peter was going to grow up without his parents. Pepper, Happy, and Rodey spoke on his behalf in court. They assured the judge that despite Tony's reputation in the media, he could be a responsible guardian. He was already close with the family and young Peter seemed to cling to him when he had been brought to the penthouse, his little spiderling. No one had been able to deny Tony Stark anything and it seemed this was one of those times. For the first few months, all of Tony’s projects had been put on hold as he learned how to tackle his new responsibilities. He enlisted the help of Happy and Pepper, as they had experience with their nieces and nephews. 

Despite it being practically impossible for Peter to have any idea what was going on, there were times when the tears just wouldn’t stop, and he would fall asleep from exhaustion. Tony was terrified that Peter would make himself sick. It wasn’t easy but they figured it out, after all that was what Tony did; he fixed things, he made them right. Maybe at the start, it was about guilt, but as time went on, guilt seemed to turn into love. Eventually, seeing Mary and Richard in their son’s smiling face didn’t cause his chest to act with regret. As the years went by Tony officially adopted Peter. As Peter reached each milestone; first steps, riding a bike, first day of school, Tony felt so much pride, and the harsh guilt was soon replaced by a softer sadness that Mary and Richard would not be able to see the man their son was becoming. Peter was his son, and that was that, who cared how he came to be so?

As Peter grew so did his mind and it was quickly discovered Peter was just as brilliant as his parents, all three of them. Peter and Tony would work on incredible projects that would change the world, one of which was their new A. I technology. Now, as brilliant as the two were, they could not know everything, so they decided to call in an expert to help them change the world. Mr. Dr. Stephen Strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided I was going to get the backstories for the two families done now because I just wanted to. As we can see Tony and Stephen had different experiences becoming parents but the point is they still love their kids. This story will probably center more around Wanda and Stephen because we already have so many stories about Tony and Peter as a family and I'm so hyped for the new movie. Stay safe everyone.

**Author's Note:**

> This is an idea I've been building on for a while, I'm hoping that when the second Dr. Strange movie comes out, Wanda will become his student or something like that because I really love this girl. It'll probably be a bit cheesy but what's wrong with that? Hope you guys like the first chapter and I will update soon. I have also started a new job so I will need to work around that but it won't be that hard. Stay safe everyone.


End file.
